Nick Farr-Jones
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Campbell Farr-Jones (born 18 April 1962 in Caringbah, New South Wales
) is a former Australian rugby union
footballer. His position was scrum-half. He attended Newington College
(1974–1979) and St Andrew's College
within the University of Sydney. He is probably best remembered for winning the 1991 Rugby World Cup
with his team against England.
Not selected for the First XV at Newington, Farr-Jones played his early first grade rugby for Sydney University and worked as a lawyer when rugby was an amateur sport. Selected for the 1984 tour of Europe, he made his international début for the Wallabies
on 3 November 1984 v England
at Twickenham
, which Australia won 19-3 and quickly established himself as a regular in the test side from then on, scoring a his first try in the final test against Scotland.
After playing in the 1986 Bledisloe Cup
series win against the All Blacks
, he played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and a year later was named Australian captain, at the age of 25. By this stage he was known as one part of Australia's "holy trinity" (the other two being David Campese
and Michael Lynagh
). Indeed, of Campese's then world record 64 international tries, Farr-Jones had a hand in 46 of them.
His captaincy started well enough with a two test home series win against England but Australia were well beaten in the 1988 Bledisloe and in 1989 lost the series to the British Lions
. His temperament under pressure was questioned, though he was the subject of particularly nasty and provocative foul by opposite number Robert Jones, who in an effort to unsettle him, stamped a studded boot onto the top of Farr-Jones' right foot, which had recently been injured.
More pressure followed in 1990 after the Wallabies were down 2-0 in the Bledisloe series it seemed certain he would lose the captaincy but the side won the final test 21-9 in Wellington and he celebrated with a naked swim in Wellington Harbour.
The 1991 Bledisloe series was closely fought, ending in a tie and the Wallabies arrived in the British Isles in good form for the World Cup. He carried a knee injury into the tournament and was rested for the pool game against Samoa
and substituted in the quarter-final midway through the second-half with what looked like a serious injury. After that nail biting finish he was back for the semi-final against New Zealand and the final, won by Australia, of which he said "We had to tackle till our shoulders were red raw just to keep them out".
He was also instrumental in 1992 for the Wallabies, with wins over the All Blacks
in the Bledisloe Cup and the Springboks in Cape Town
, a win that ended doubts over the Wallabies claim to be the best team in the world. He briefly retired from the sport at this stage but was persuaded back for the final two homes tests against South Africa in 1993, after Australia lost the opening match in the series.
Farr-Jones was capped
63 times for Australia, including 36 as captain (then a world record), and scored nine tries. During his career, he formed a world record half-back
combination with Michael Lynagh
of 47 Tests together.
. In June 2008, he was he was honoured in the third set of inductees into the Australian Rugby Union
Hall of Fame. In October 2011, Farr-Jones was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning captains and head coaches from the tournament's inception in 1987 through 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales
).
He works as a lawyer and appears as a TV rugby commentator on UK Sky Sports.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
) is a former Australian rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. His position was scrum-half. He attended Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1974–1979) and St Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...
within the University of Sydney. He is probably best remembered for winning the 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
with his team against England.
Not selected for the First XV at Newington, Farr-Jones played his early first grade rugby for Sydney University and worked as a lawyer when rugby was an amateur sport. Selected for the 1984 tour of Europe, he made his international début for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
on 3 November 1984 v England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, which Australia won 19-3 and quickly established himself as a regular in the test side from then on, scoring a his first try in the final test against Scotland.
After playing in the 1986 Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
series win against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, he played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and a year later was named Australian captain, at the age of 25. By this stage he was known as one part of Australia's "holy trinity" (the other two being David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
and Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh is a former Australian rugby union footballer who played as a Fly-half.Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record...
). Indeed, of Campese's then world record 64 international tries, Farr-Jones had a hand in 46 of them.
His captaincy started well enough with a two test home series win against England but Australia were well beaten in the 1988 Bledisloe and in 1989 lost the series to the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. His temperament under pressure was questioned, though he was the subject of particularly nasty and provocative foul by opposite number Robert Jones, who in an effort to unsettle him, stamped a studded boot onto the top of Farr-Jones' right foot, which had recently been injured.
More pressure followed in 1990 after the Wallabies were down 2-0 in the Bledisloe series it seemed certain he would lose the captaincy but the side won the final test 21-9 in Wellington and he celebrated with a naked swim in Wellington Harbour.
The 1991 Bledisloe series was closely fought, ending in a tie and the Wallabies arrived in the British Isles in good form for the World Cup. He carried a knee injury into the tournament and was rested for the pool game against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
and substituted in the quarter-final midway through the second-half with what looked like a serious injury. After that nail biting finish he was back for the semi-final against New Zealand and the final, won by Australia, of which he said "We had to tackle till our shoulders were red raw just to keep them out".
He was also instrumental in 1992 for the Wallabies, with wins over the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in the Bledisloe Cup and the Springboks in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, a win that ended doubts over the Wallabies claim to be the best team in the world. He briefly retired from the sport at this stage but was persuaded back for the final two homes tests against South Africa in 1993, after Australia lost the opening match in the series.
Farr-Jones was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
63 times for Australia, including 36 as captain (then a world record), and scored nine tries. During his career, he formed a world record half-back
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
combination with Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh is a former Australian rugby union footballer who played as a Fly-half.Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record...
of 47 Tests together.
After Rugby
In 1999, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of FameInternational Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
. In June 2008, he was he was honoured in the third set of inductees into the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
Hall of Fame. In October 2011, Farr-Jones was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning captains and head coaches from the tournament's inception in 1987 through 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales
John Eales
John Eales AM is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby.-Early life:...
).
He works as a lawyer and appears as a TV rugby commentator on UK Sky Sports.
External links
- Nick Farr-Jones's Speaker Profile at Saxton Speakers Bureau
- Nick Farr-Jones's Full Biography at ICMI.com.au
- 1991 World Cup on BBC Sport
- Sporting Heroes page 1
- Sporting Heroes page 2
- Sporting Heroes page 3
- Sporting Heroes page 4